Cristiano Ronaldo reaches 67 career hat tricks: How many does Lionel Messi have?

It took more than two years to see it happen again, but Cristiano Ronaldo finally delivered another masterclass, bagging a hat-trick to hit 985 career goals in Al-Nassr’s dominant showing against Al-Kholood in the Saudi Pro League. The three-goal explosion pushed Ronaldo to 67 career hat-tricks, further widening his lead over longtime rival Lionel Messi in that category.

Messi sits close behind with 62 career hat-tricks, most recently logging one for Inter Miami in a 4-1 rout of CF Montreal on August 29. That performance helped Miami maintain pace in the Eastern Conference standings during a tight battle with Nashville SC.

The display comes on the heels of Ronaldo narrowly edging Messi in the fan-voted “Best of All Time” (BOAT) poll. As his career total ticks closer to the once-unthinkable milestone of 1,000 official goals, anticipation continues to build around whether the Portuguese legend can reach quadruple digits before hanging up his boots.

Ronaldo even weighed in on that fan accolade during the festivities surrounding the Ballon d’Or gala, which recently saw Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane take home the coveted 2026 men’s honor following a prolific campaign.

Where Ronaldo holds the statistical edge over Messi

Beyond his advantage in hat-tricks, Ronaldo maintains the upper hand over Messi across several prominent scoring metrics. Anchored by his overall edge in career goals (985 to Messi’s 936), the Portuguese forward also holds a commanding margin from the penalty spot, converting 184 spot-kicks to Messi’s 115.

See also

Cristiano Ronaldo hits 985 career goals with hat trick: Where does Lionel Messi stand in the race to 1,000?

Ronaldo also leads in goals scored inside the penalty area (660 to 636), headers (158 to 32), and total shots on target (2,156 to 1,994). However, Messi comfortably claims the high ground in efficiency and playmaking, dominating the assist column (427 to 261) and boasting a superior scoring rate with 0.79 goals per match compared to Ronaldo’s 0.73.

Yet beyond the endless statistical debate, the fact that both icons are still performing at an elite level—Messi at 39 and Ronaldo at 41—defies modern sports science. What the two generational titans are accomplishing in the twilight of their careers remains entirely unprecedented.

Key takeaways

• Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick to reach 985 career goals for Al-Nassr.
• Lionel Messi has 62 hat-tricks, last recording one for Inter Miami on August 29.
• Harry Kane won the 2026 men’s Ballon d’Or award following a prolific campaign.